Ifrit Delivery Service
by Caledvwlch
Summary: AU. After escaping ShinRa's army, Zack and Cloud set up their jack-of-all-trades business, just like Zack had talked about. Everything seems to go smoothly, until they receive a phone call from the Seventh Heaven bar, offering them an intriguing job.
1. Chapter 1

"Ifrit Delivery Service. You name it, we deliver."

The young man lounged in a creaky old office chair, his long legs flung up over the worn surface of the desk in front of him. He ran a hand through unruly black hair as he listened to the potential customer on the other end prattle on about drunks or something and turned unnervingly blue eyes on his partner across the room. The smaller, chocobo headed young man was scanning the day's newspaper as he leaned casually against the wall. Feeling his friend's gaze, he looked up, a teasing smirk barely visible on his lips as Zack raised two fingers in the shape of a gun to his temple, the universal sign for "please, for the love of Gaia kill me now". Cloud shook his head and went back to his newspaper. It had been Zack's idea to set up this mercenary, jack-of-all-trades business (under the guise of a delivery service to throw ShinRa off the scent); he could deal with the odd obnoxious caller.

Something hit the back of his head. Cloud turned to see what it was, but there was nothing there. Gingerly, he reached up to his shock of spiky blonde hair and found the crumpled up wad of paper that had decided to lodge itself there. Tugging at it slightly, he pulled it out and unfolded it. The word "traitor" was scrawled across it in pen. Cloud rolled his eyes, crumpled the paper up again and threw it back at its creator. Zack ducked as the tiny projectile came hurtling back at his head. Unfortunately, the rickety old chair was not ready for such a sudden movement, and it went skittering in the opposite direction, dumping the former SOLDIER squarely on his now sore rump. Cloud snorted, trying to suppress the laugh that attempted to force its way out. Zack glared at him as he finally managed to get a word in with his chatty caller.

"Look, sir, I'm sorry but our schedule is completely booked at the moment," he lied. "If you want I can recommend some other good businesses that could help you. Right. Again, I'm sorry we can't help this time."

Hanging up, he used the desk to lever himself upright again, praying that it was sturdier than the chair. Cloud watched, amusement clear on his normally unreadable face.

"You're a cold, heartless bastard, Cloud Strife," Zack said, replacing the phone in its stand.

The other young man rolled his eyes again.

"Says the guy who left me to fish materia out of a monster's gut last week," he replied dryly.

Walking over to the desk, he dropped the newspaper onto it before heading for the door.

"I'm taking the bike out for a drive. I should be back in an hour or so," Cloud waved briefly, not even bothering to look back.

"Cold and heartless!" Zack shouted in mock anger as the door swung shut.

With a sigh and a rueful smile, Zack adjusted the short, loose ponytail that hung down his neck. It was good to see that Cloud had fully recovered from that nasty mako bath Hojo had given them. _Hard to believe it's been a year already_, Zack thought as he shifted through the papers littering the desk. The past twelve months certainly hadn't been easy for either of them. Although they had escaped ShinRa, Cloud had had the worst case of mako poisoning most doctors in the Midgar slums had ever seen. Despite his fear for his friend's well being, he couldn't help but thank his lucky stars that the mako treatments he'd received as a SOLDIER had kept him from ending up in a similar state. _Lucky stars._ Zack felt a sudden pang of remorse at the phrase, and the memory of the girl who had used it so often. He sincerely hoped that Cissinei would find a way out of the Turks soon. He hated to think what that line of work would do to such a bright, sweet girl one day. The unexpected thought brought to mind another girl, and Zack felt a lump form in his throat. It had been five years. He doubted that she was still waiting for him. But part of him still held on to the hope: _Fool's hope_, he chided himself, that she was waiting. He longed to go see her, to let her know that he was all right, but the chances that ShinRa was still on the lookout for him and Cloud were still fairly high. He couldn't expose her to that kind of danger.

"Besides," Zack told himself reassuringly, "Tseng promised to look out for her. And I trust Tseng…even if he is a Turk."

Giving up on whatever he had been looking for on the desk, Zack picked up his mug from earlier that day and walked over to the small kitchenette that occupied one corner, rinsing the mug out before refilling it from the pot of coffee that had just finished brewing. As he took an experimental sip, he glanced out of the window above the sink. Although he had visited the slums numerous times while in SOLDIER, actually living down here had definitely taken some getting used to. Most of the light came from tall street lamps that were as gaunt and dejected as the rest of the slums. What little natural light there was filtered down through cracks in the upper plates. And on top of that, there were monsters down here. _So much for ShinRa's grand plan to clean up the slums_, Zack thought dryly. Monsters, gangs, no sunlight, it was easy to see why no one lived under the plate because they wanted to. Even in his case, circumstance had forced him down here. The phone's incessant ringing jerked Zack out of his thoughts and back to reality. Walking back to the desk, he set his coffee down and picked up the cordless phone.

"Ifrit Delivery Service. You name it, we deliver. Yeah? That's right ma'am. No, you don't need to pay us until we've accepted the job. Uh huh. Where in Sector 7 are you? Seventh Heaven? Right, I'll give my associate a call and we should be over there later today. No problem. Uh huh, b'bye."

Replacing the phone in its stand again, Zack fished his cell phone out of his pocket, tapping the speed dial for Cloud's phone. It didn't take Cloud long to answer. _He must've stopped for something_, Zack thought before speaking.

"Yo, Cloud? Time to head back, buddy. Looks like we've got a new job over at Seventh Heaven."


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note:_**_ Wow, I'm honestly surprised by the wonderful response I've gotten to this story so far. For those of you wondering about updates, the plan at the moment is to post a new chapter each Friday (it may end up being every other Friday, depending on how busy I get with classes). Also, just to clarify, since someone asked about this, all the events leading up to the moment when Zack would have died still follow the events of Crisis Core (for the most part. I may change a few things...like Genesis being in Nibelheim...cause that just seemed lame to me, lol). So this basically theorizes how the events of the original FFVII game could have been different had the ShinRa army never caught up with Zack and Cloud on their way back to Midgar._

_But enough of my babbling. Here's chapter two, and thanks so much for reading!  
_

**Chapter 2**

Compared to the rest of the Midgar slums, Sector 7 wasn't all that bad. True, it had its share of gangs and general unsavory goings-on, but it also seemed to attract the most families. There was even a little playground nearby. Now Zack and Cloud stood outside one of the larger buildings, staring up at the neon sign that proclaimed it to be the Seventh Heaven bar. Zack glanced over at Cloud, who didn't look particularly happy to be there. He had been against going to check out a job without any real information, but Zack had eventually talked him into it. Nevermind the fact that Zack himself felt a little uneasy about this job. Something in his gut told him that this job was different from the others, and not necessarily in a good way. But they needed to the gil, and Zack liked to make it a point to never turn down a customer (especially a lady)…unless it was that crazy old man from Sector 5. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Cloud starting to turn away, and grabbed his friend's shoulder before he could bolt.

"Come on, you big pansy," he said, his voice teasing. "Let's go find out what we're getting ourselves into."

"I'm telling you, I've got a bad feeling about this," Cloud protested.

Zack steered the reluctant Cloud towards the stairs leading up to the door.

"I know, I know, you've only said that 50 times now."

The door creaked slightly as Zack pushed it open. Seventh Heaven was surprisingly well lit for a slum bar, with a few tables strategically placed around the main room. An old TV hung at an angle over the bar, the newscaster on its screen droning on in a sort of background hum. It was clear that no one was actually paying attention to him. A few of the patrons looked up, one or two nodded at the newcomers, but most simply ignored them. You tended to live longer in the slums if you minded your own business. After a quick glance around, Zack walked over to the bar and plunked himself down on one of the stools. Cloud followed more cautiously, carefully settling himself next to Zack, although he looked ready to move at the slightest thing.

"Can I get you two anything?"

Cloud's head whipped around at the sound of the girl's voice. It couldn't be…could it? Zack's response confirmed it.

"Tifa Lockheart?"

The young woman nodded, and now that Cloud had a better look at her, he could see that it really was Tifa. She'd grown up a lot since he'd last seen her. _Of course she has, you idiot_, Cloud mentally berated himself. _It's been at least four years since you saw her. Probably more like five. _

"Are you the guys from Ifrit?" Tifa asked, her voice still as bright and cheerful as Cloud remembered, although it had matured somewhat.

"That's right," Zack said with a grin. "I'm Zack, and the grumpy one is Cloud."

There was a pause as Tifa studied Cloud for a moment, and then she gasped.

"Oh my gosh, you really are Cloud Strife, aren't you?! It's been so long, I didn't even recognize you! It's me, Tifa, from Nibelheim, remember?"

Cloud nodded, glancing briefly at Tifa before turning his head to study the floor.

"Yeah, I remember you."

Tifa smiled.

"It's so good to see you again, Cloud. Although I really didn't expect to find you doing mercenary work."

Zack laughed, and Cloud looked like he was trying to burn a hole through the floor by glaring at it.

"That would be my fault, Miss Tifa," Zack said with a grin.

Tifa laughed as she walked out from behind the bar.

"Just Tifa is fine. Anyway, I'll show you guys to the back room. That way you and Barret can discuss things in private."

"Sounds good to me," Zack said, hopping off the barstool. "Come on, Cloud."

Cloud clambered down from his perch on the other stool and followed Tifa and Zack towards a door near the back of the main room.

The room had a distinctly musty smell, and Cloud unconsciously wrinkled his nose as he walked in. The light blinked unsteadily when Tifa flicked the switch on the wall, prompting the young woman to give the wall a good solid thump. It blinked once more, and then held steady. Tifa motioned to the small table and set of chairs in the center of the room.

"Go ahead and take a seat. I'll tell Barret you're here."

Zack and Cloud nodded and sat down at the table as Tifa left through another door off to on side of the room. Zack leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"She's that girl you were avoiding back in Nibelheim, isn't she," he said without opening his eyes.

Cloud looked over at Zack, and then nodded.

"Yeah."

"I thought so. She's a nice girl. Pretty too."

"I guess."

Zack opened his eyes and looked over at Cloud.

"I'm sensing some issues here."

Cloud shrugged and once again looked down at the floor.

"It's just…nevermind. It's not important."

Zack studied his blonde friend for a moment, then shrugged and flopped forward, his elbows coming to rest on his knees. The silence stretched on, and Cloud could see Zack starting to fidget. Eventually he let out a frustrated sigh, stood, moved off to the other side of the table and started doing squats. Cloud rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but grin. That was so typically Zack. He was like a puppy, restless and always moving. The others had always teased him about that back when they were still with ShinRa. Cloud had even heard Sephiroth mention it once. He opened his mouth to make a comment about the older man's restlessness, but the creak of the door opening silenced him. A large, dark skinned man stood in the doorway, giving Zack and Cloud and appraising look. Cloud couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by him. He was huge, built like a tank and even taller than Zack, with a heavy machine gun where his left arm should have been.

Zack slowly straightened, turning to face the newcomer.

"I take it you're Barret?" he asked.

The large man nodded.

"That's right. You the guys from Ifrit Delivery Service, or whatever you call yourselves?"

"That's us," Zack replied. "So, what's the job? Tifa said she couldn't talk about it over the phone."

Barret walked into the room and stood by the table, leaning on it slightly.

"Our…organization needs a little extra muscle for an upcoming shindig."

"What kind of 'organization'?" Cloud's eyes narrowed as he spoke.

Barret paused, clearly looking for the right way to phrase his answer.

"…AVALANCHE."

The legs of the old wooden chair scraped violently against the concrete floor as Cloud stood. Without a word, he turned for the door. Zack grabbed his elbow before he could leave the room.

"Cloud, wait! At least hear the man out," he said, the barest hint of reprimand in his voice.

Cloud glared at Zack.

"I'm not gonna throw my life away fighting ShinRa for some planet crazy terrorists," he snapped.

"Cloud—"

Zack was interrupted by Barret slamming a hand down on the table.

"What'd you say?!"

Cloud turned his icy glare on Barret, who flinched unconsciously. _Mako eyes…is he…? Damn…_

"You heard me," Cloud said, his voice dangerously calm. "Or should I say it slower so you can understand? I'm not risking my life to fight for some preachy terrorists going on about how the planet's dying, and mako's—"

Barret lunged across the room and grabbed Cloud by the shirt front, lifting him clear off the ground. Zack shouted in protest, but the large man ignored him as he railed on Cloud.

"You little shithead! You think you're so high an' mighty, passin' judgment on us like that?! ShinRa is destroyin' the planet, but you can't be bothered with that, can ya?! Damn coward, that's what you are!"

Barret flung Cloud away from him, sending him straight into the chair he had been sitting in moments before. Before chair and young man went clattering to the floor. Barret lunged forward again, landing a solid punch on Cloud's face before Zack managed to get between them.

"Okay, okay, I think we all just need to calm down!" he shouted, pushing Barret away from Cloud with one hand while using the other to hold Cloud down. Although he was smaller than Barret, his SOLDIER enhancements made him at least as strong.

Barret backed down, but he was obviously still furious. Behind Zack, Cloud stood, using the fallen chair to help himself up. Wiping blood from his mouth, he glared at Barret.

"Help them if you want," he told Zack through gritted teeth. "I'm out."

Zack turned, reaching out a hand to stop his friend.

"Cloud, wait!"

The door slamming behind him was the only response.


	3. Chapter 3 part 1

_Author's Note:__ Sorry about the delay...and the fact that this isn't even the full chapter. *shot* Between classes and a convention I have been incredibly busy this month (I also blame the fact that this chapter starts out focusing on Cloud...it's so hard for me to write for him ). I'll try to have the rest of the chapter up soon. Next week might be late as well, because of the holiday and all the wacky family hi-jinks that entails (mainly stuff going boom). Thanks for being patient with me._

_-Cale  
_

**Chapter 3**

Cloud knew his reaction had been, well, childish, to be perfectly blunt. He had considered going back in and apologizing, but his pride wouldn't let him. That and he was fairly sure that that man, Barret if he remembered right, would probably kill him. He sighed and leaned against a nearby wall. Barret had been right, of course. He was a coward. Just the idea of going up against ShinRa in a fight gave him the uncomfortable feeling that he was about to lose control of his bladder. He hated it, but after what had happened, after losing four years of his life to Professor Hojo's lab…

"Hey, are you all right?"

Cloud jumped at the sound of the voice. As he mentally berated himself for spacing out, he glanced over to see who had spoken. It was a young woman, about Cloud's age, with long, light brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She leaned in to get a better look at Cloud's face, and when he blushed, she laughed. Which in turn made Cloud blush even more.

"I'm sorry if I bothered you," she said. "You just looked like you could use someone to talk to."

Cloud shook his head.

"No, well, yes, but…" he stammered. He had never been particularly good at talking to girls.

The buzz of the phone in his pocket saved him from further embarrassment. Cloud scrabbled for it.

"Hello?" he said, barely managing to keep the desperate relief from his voice.

"Have you cooled down yet?"

Cloud felt himself unconsciously bristle at the pedantic tone in Zack's voice.

"I think you know the answer to that, Zack."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young woman's expression change slightly at the mention of Zack's name.

Zack sighed.

"I'll take that as a no. Listen, why don't you head back home. I'll get some more details about the job and—"

"I'm not interested," Cloud interrupted.

"And then we'll discuss it," Zack continued, his voice firm.

There was a click on the other end of the line as Zack hung up. Cloud stared at the phone for a moment, before flicking it closed and stowing it away in his pocket again. He stared at the ground for a moment, before looking over at the young woman who still stood next to him.

"Umm…sorry, but it looks like I have to go," he said, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly. "It was, uh, nice meeting you."

The young woman smiled at him, but she seemed distracted.

"You too. I hope everything works out for you."

"Yeah…"

Abruptly, Cloud turned and walked away, weaving his way through the crowded streets of the Sector 7 slums. He had never visited the slums until a year ago, and he'd found it even harder to adjust to than living on the Plate. Everything about Midgar was so different from his hometown. Nibelheim was one of those towns where everybody knew everybody, and every little old lady could remember the day you were born. And insisted on telling you about it every time they saw you. Not that Cloud felt any great attachment to the place, not after his mother's death anyway, but somehow he couldn't help feeling a little homesick for it. He missed how quiet it was, and the clear, open air you got in the mountains. Midgar was claustrophobic, with it's buildings all crowded together and the press of traffic. The slums were even worse, the plate looming over everything, blocking out all but the faintest glimmer of sunlight. People tended to walk with their heads down, and Cloud found it hard not to follow suit as he made his way through the crowded streets toward Sector 4 and home.

Zack slipped his phone back into the little holster on his belt and turned to Barret and Tifa, who had come in when she heard yelling. He shook his head.

"I'll try talking to him again once he's actually cooled down and had some time to think," he said, somewhat apologetically.

"It's all right," Tifa replied. "So, do you still want the details on the job?"

Zack shrugged.

"May as well. A job's a job, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm no friend of ShinRa's."

Reaching under the table, Barret opened a small drawer and pulled out a disc. He slid it across the table towards Zack, who picked it up and looked at it.

"We're gonna blow up the number 1 reactor," Barret told him. "Blue prints of the reactor and some other stuff are on that disc. You've got until next Monday night to convince "Spiky" to take the job, you got that?"

"What about payment?"

Barret crossed his arms across his barrel chest.

"You'll get it once the job is done."

Zack looked as if he was going to argue the point but instead he just nodded briefly.

"All right, since this is kind of a special case, I'll accept that."

"Special case?" Tifa asked.

The dark haired young man nodded, his face serious.

"What you're asking us to do is more dangerous than any other job we've taken," he said.

Noticing the look that passed between Barret and Tifa, Zack crossed his arms.

"You do realize what it is you're asking us to do, right? Security around the reactors is ridiculously tight. Even with our help, your chances of success aren't very high."


	4. Riding Lessons side story

_Author's Note:_

_I am so sorry this story just sort of dropped off the face of the Earth. My life has basically been a series of insane events lately that I won't bore you with. Not to mention when I started this I had no intention of actually continuing through FFVII's whole story, and thus had nothing really planned out for it. I never imagined this would be as popular as it is. So, that said, I am hoping to get some new chapters written and will try to stick to an updating every other Friday schedule. For now, here's a little side chapter/omake of sorts. Thanks again for your patience and not coming after me with pitchforks and torches._

Wind rustled through the tall plains grass, although it did nothing to ease the oppressive summer humidity. The air was thick and heavy with it, as omnipresent as the monotonous buzz of the cicadas. The breeze tugged playfully at Cloud's shock of spiky blonde hair, but he ignored it. His attention was wholly focused on his opponent, a monstrous creature standing but a few feet away. Cloud's blue eyes narrowed as he glared at it. The creature cocked its yellow head as if sizing him up and scratched at the dirt. Suddenly it leapt back as if startled by something and let out a raucous cry.

_KWEH!_

The chocobo trotted away as Cloud turned to see what had spooked it. Zack strode towards him, carrying a saddle easily over one arm and a bridle slung over his shoulder. His smile was pure mischief. Upon reaching where Cloud stood, he dumped his cargo onto the wooden fence and looked out across the pasture dotted with the large, flightless yellow birds.

"No need to worry, Cloud," he said with a grin. "These are the best chocobos this side of Midgar. We'll find you a nice quiet one."

Cloud looked uneasy.

"Are you really sure about this? I mean, I've survived the first 20 years of my life without riding a chocobo."

Zack laughed and patted his friend on the back.

"Trust me, I'm sure. Cars, motorcycles, trains, they're all well and good. But when it comes down to it, nothing beats the feel of leather and feathers between your legs."

The younger man just stared at his friend.

"…That has to be the most disturbing thing I have ever heard you say," he said eventually.

At this, Zack burst out laughing, spooking a few of the more skittish birds. He picked up the saddle again and nodded towards the bridle.

"Grab that for me, would you?"

Cloud picked up the bridle (how on Gaia could a few leather straps help control such a huge animal?) and followed Zack into the stable.

Inside, the large building smelled of a mix of hay, feed, and the musky odor of the chocobos themselves. With most of the birds out in the pasture enjoying the sun, it was fairly quiet. Occasionally a bird would shift in its stall, perhaps let out a gentle _kweh_, but that was it. Cloud had to admit, for all his anxiety it was oddly peaceful in there. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He walked over to the small rack where Zack had placed the saddle and hung the bridle on the peg next to it. When he turned around, Zack was leading a placid looking chocobo out of its stall. Hooking its halter up to a pair of cross-ties in the aisle, he waved Cloud over.

"Come say hi to Boco," he said, obviously still amused by how nervous Cloud was around the big birds.

Cloud hesitated for a moment, then walked down the aisle towards Zack and "Boco". When he got closer, Zack motioned for him to hold his hand out. When Cloud did, he placed some gyshal greens in it.

"Try giving him some of those," he told him. "Just remember to keep your hand flat so he doesn't accidentally grab your fingers."

Cloud looked mildly traumatized at the idea of loosing fingers to a chocobo, but he did as he was told. The bird sniffed at his hand before carefully taking the offered greens. Cloud relaxed visibly as Boco munched away happily.

"Try petting him," Zack said.

Slowly Cloud reached out a cautious hand and patted the chocobo gently on the head. When it didn't take his hand off, he gave it another pat before stepping back. Zack laughed.

"All right, I think you're ready. Go grab his tack and we'll get you two ready to go."

Cloud, still not entirely sure that this was a good idea, walked over to the rack and hefted the study leather saddle. Balancing it over one arm, he grabbed the bridle with his free hand and returned to Zack and Boco. Zack took the saddle from him and placed it on the chocobo's back, tightening and adjusting the girth straps so that it was secure. Unhooking the cross-ties, he took the bridle Cloud offered him and, after removing Boco's halter, slipped it deftly over the large bird's head. Bringing the reins up over the chocobo's head, he handed them over to Cloud.

"There's a riding ring out back," Zack told him. "Just lead him out there. Don't worry, I'll be right behind you."

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Cloud said, but he took the reins anyway.

The riding ring was a simple affair, with sturdy wooden fences that came up to Cloud's chest and fine sand covered in chocobo tracks. Leading Boco into the center, he waited as Zack entered the ring.

"Pull the stirrups down," he called, gesturing towards the saddle. "You may have to adjust them. I'll double check to make sure everything's tight."

Cloud pulled the stirrups down as Zack instructed and then made a face. Clearly, whoever had last used this saddle was either a midget or a child. He studied the saddle for a moment, trying to find what strap lowered the stirrups. He was saved by Zack reaching around and pointing.

"That one. Take it down…a lot."

After finishing any final adjustments, Zack walked around to the chocobo's right side, flipped the reins back over it's head, and cupped his hands.

"Come on, I'll give you a leg up," he said. "Just put your foot in my hands and get a good grip on the saddle horn."

"Promise you won't throw me over the saddle?" Cloud said as he put his foot in Zack's hands.

Zack laughed.

"Promise. Besides, I doubt I could. You're skinny, but you're not _that_ skinny. Okay, now when I say jump, jump. Ready?"

Cloud nodded, and tightened his grip on the saddle. Zack shifted slightly.

"One, two, jump!"

With a shout, Cloud went sailing over Boco's back, landing hard on the other side. Sitting up, he grimaced and rubbed his backside, then turned to glare at his friend who was peeking over the chocobo's back, trying desperately not to laugh.

"Dammit, Zack, you said you wouldn't throw me over the saddle!"

Zack shrugged innocently.

"Uhh…oops?"

Getting back on his feet, Cloud walked back around Boco and punched Zack in the shoulder. Hard. Zack yelped and rubbed his arm.

"One more try," he said, still nursing his arm. "I swear, I won't throw you over Boco this time."

Cloud looked at the other young man warily, before sighing and grabbing hold of the saddle again.

"Fine. But if you do, I'm done."

This time Cloud landed on his face. Spitting sand, he stood, dusting his shirt off as Zack burst out laughing.

"Okay, now you're doing it on purpose," he grumbled.

"I'm not, I swear I'm not," Zack said, wiping away tears of laughter.

Walking over to Boco's head, Cloud took the reins and began leading the chocobo back to the stable. Zack hurried after them.

"Oh come on, one more try. Third time's the charm!"

"No!"

"Quitter!"

Cloud stopped suddenly, Boco bumping his head against his back. Turning, he dropped the reins into Zack's hands and kept walking. Zack glanced down at the reins, then at the chocobo next to him, then at Cloud's retreating form.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Back to the city!"

"Hey, you can't leave without me!"

"Watch me!"

"Cloud, come on, be—Cloud! Don't get in the car! Hey, buddy, wait for me! CLOUD!"


End file.
